78 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [Jan., 



does not appear to me to be more than a melanistic condition, 

 approaches to which occur in all subspecies of 0. getulus. 



Hab. — Southern New Jersey to Florida and Louisiana; chiefly 

 in the Atlantic States. 



Ophibolus getulus boylii B. and G. 



Ophiholus Boylii B. and G., I. c, 82 ; 0. [/. hoi/lii Cope, I. c, 613, and 

 Rep. Nat. Mus., 919 ; Coronella getula (part) Boul., I. c, II, 197 ; 

 Lampropeltis boylii Yan Den., I. c, 169. 



Smaller than 0. g. sayl; scales in 23 rows (occ. 25); ventrals 

 218-255; subcaudals 46-60. The largest measurement given by 

 Mr. Van Denburg is 1,089 mm. (tail 135). 



The body is black or brownish, with rings of white or yellow 

 about two scales wide on the back, which widen on the sides until 

 they are wider than the black interspaces; sometimes the direction 

 of the rings is oblique, so that on the belly and even on the back 

 the ends alternate, instead of meeting; the top of the head is 

 black with small light spots and the snout is white or yellow. One 

 of two living specimens lately received from Yuma, Ariz., by 

 courtesy of Mr. Herbert Brown, has the light bands only indicated 

 by white spots on a few lateral scales, across the back there being 

 no more than a brown shade on the deep black of the body color; 

 the top of the head is wholly black, the lower labials white, 

 heavily margined with black. 



Hab. — Nevada, Arizona and California. 



Ophibolus getulus californise Blainville. 



Coluber ( Ophis) californicB Blain., Nouv. Ann. du Mus., 1835, 293 ; 

 B. and G., I. c, 15;i ; 0. (j. californicB Cope, /. r., 614, and Rep. Nat. 

 Mus , 922 ; Coronella getula (part) Boul., I. c, II, 197 ; Lampropeltis 

 californicB Van Den., I. c, 172. 



The relations of this snake to 0. g. boylii are uncertain, and it 

 is quite possible that the specimens known are but abnormal color 

 variations of that species; there are usually 23 rows of scales; 

 oculars 1-2 (3); temporals 2-3; ventrals 226-236; subcaudals 

 50-58. The body is black or browni.sh with little constancy in the 

 mai'kings; at times more or less of the white rings of boylii are 

 present, but broken up and interspersed with short longitudinal 

 white stripes, and according to Mr. Van Denburg, there is a 

 white or yellow stripe or series of spots on the back; the head is 

 colored as in boylii, and the belly is yellow or white, with or with- 

 out black blotches. 



